Builder Mary-Dolph Simpson said she learned early on that treading territory in a traditionally male-dominated field could be a challenge.

"I would go on an interview... get it all done, and then they'd expect to 'talk to the builder,' " mused Simpson, president of Simpson Builders Inc. in Norfolk. She specifically recalled a military couple who wanted a custom home in a community where the company had built 50 other houses.

"I could tell right off in that meeting," she remembered, that the husband wanted to talk to a man.

That day she began to cover all the bases and began bringing her partner, brother-in-law Page Simpson, to every interview in an effort to satisfy even the most Cynical Cy in the land of potential clients - those who believed that a woman couldn't possibly know as much as a man about building a home.

"I will say that after 15 years that perception's changed a bit," Simpson said, smiling.

She and Page still interview together, though now with a focus on showcasing their combined talents rather than establishing that she's up for the task. Her strong knack for customized design, and his for engineering, bring what they see as the perfect blend to the table.

What's different about the added touch of a woman in the industry?

"From the male (builders') perspective, they take the plan and want to build what they see," Simpson, 52, explained. "Being the female side, I hear what the woman needs" regarding space, storage and overall home-life design.

"I can envision pretty much anything," she said, adding that often she visits a family's current home to better understand their lifestyle needs and preferences. She also assists greatly in the materials-selection process.

"But we (men) look at things differently than women do," Page Simpson said, noting that some men simply want to talk nuts and bolts - which Mary-Dolph can do with the best of them, having learned the trade from the trenches up with builder Steve Ballard of S.B. Ballard Construction Co. - and might feel more at ease speaking guy talk.

"A lot of times, a couple just feels very comfortable with us" coming from two complementary perspectives, Simpson added.

The number of reported female-owned construction firms nationwide exceeded 201,000 in the United States Census Bureau's 2002 Survey of Business Owners.

According to the National Association of Home Builders' website, more women than ever are leading construction companies.

"I think women builders can certainly relate with what people really want in a new home," said Mark Edwards, senior vice president/broker of East West Realty in Suffolk.

"Research shows that women influence the purchase decision 86 percent of the time in the purchase of today's consumer goods," he said, "and it certainly holds true in the purchase of new homes. Women builders can bring a unique perspective that many of the builders that have been in the business for many, many years might not.

"Of course, there are excellent male builders," Edwards noted. "In fact most of the ones we work with are predominantly 'male-owned' building companies. But if you take a closer look, they have someone (female) in the decision-making process or serving a very important role in their company."

"Women bring 'livability' into the building industry," she said. "Women see their homes through the eyes of every family member, to include the family pets," she said.

Bullington added. "They don't want wasted space; every inch of a home needs to matter and be put to use. A woman designer/builder has the patience and insight to help families get there. Yes, it is different for women in this male-dominated field, but that challenge can be fun to overcome if you make it a priority."

Helen E. Dragas, president and CEO of The Dragas Companies in Virginia Beach, said she has faced "no substantive challenges" as a female builder since following in the footsteps of her father, George Dragas, founder of the first Dragas company in 1968.

"But sometimes I do receive fodder for amusement," she quippped.

"I have always been entrusted with great responsibility and offered opportunities just as a man would have been," Dragas, 48, explained.

But though her award-winning company has built more than 35 communities since its inception, "I have heard phrases from land sellers such as, if you want to play with the big boys... ' " she said. "These just make me chuckle.

"Perhaps the only difference between me and my male counterparts is that I delivered three babies within five years and was back at work a couple of days later with each one," Dragas said.

She admitted that "bringing newborns to work can be quite counterproductive" and that "substantial and sustained support at home," including a husband who's "an amazing father and extremely supportive," are key to juggling career and motherhood.

Bullington equates the male/female work relationship with a marital relationship.

"Just say what you want and need," she advised. "Learn to have a tough skin when they say 'no.' Learn to sever the ties when the relationship goes sour.

"It is all about relationships," she said, "and it boils down to the thing we are taught as children: 'Treat others as you want to be treated.' "

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